Watch Shia Labeouf try to do a British accent in Nymphomaniac

Yesterday brought us the latest (NSFW) still from Lars Von Trier’s Nymphomaniac, and today we have a teaser clip from the same “chapter,” which is called “Jerome.” It details young Joe – Charlotte Gainsbourg’s character, the younger version of whom is played by Stacy Martin – and her sexual encounter with dopey oaf Shia Labeouf and his weird combover. In this clip, he gets to try out his English accent! (I think?) Doing sex scenes, speaking in a British accent… Shia’s really making a play for “serious actor” status here. I heard he also wanted to wear Holocaust pajamas and play the cello but was overruled. “So Lars, I was really thinking my character should speak in iambic pentameter–no wait, hear me out….”

You wonder if Shia wasn’t comfortable speaking in the accent, because he just keeps saying “good job, Liz!” over and over, like that was the only line he could do in the accent.

He probably spent a whole week saying “Good job, Liz!” to everyone he saw, like Kramer with “these pretzels are making me thirsty!” Barista made him a latte? “Good job, Liz!” Favorite team scored a touchdown? “Good job, Liz!” Screaming out in the throes of passion? “Good job, Liz!” Signing every email? “Good job, Liz!”

It’s like Von Trier is deliberately putting La Beef in the worst situation possible, solely for the purpose of making the film edgy.
“So, Shia, what skills do you absolutely not possess as an actor? Subtlety, yes? And accents? Good, your character is now a mild mannered Englishman. Now we will give you Hitler’s haircut.”